Motor for washing-machines.



PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907. L. G. LEWIS.

MOTOR FOR WASHING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED AUG. a, 1906.

i -Em 741N11 II III- Illll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEW'IS C. LEWIS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE MONARCH MANU- FACTURIN G COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

MOTOR FOR WASHING-IVIACHINES.

v Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed August 6,1906- Serial No. 329,322.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS C. LEwIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motors for Washing- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to power driven washing machines and has for its object the provision of an improved method of mounting a water motor for driving a washing machine of the type in which the tub oscillates bodily.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows:

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a washing machine of the type described having a water motor mounted in accordance with the invention to drive said washing machine, Fig. 2 is a horizontal section upon line a: 20 of Fig. 1, and, Fig. 3 is a detail view of the rack and pinion and an anti-friction roller which holds said rack in engagement with said pinion.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the numerals 5 designate supporting legs, which together with cross bars 6 and longitudinally extending boards 7 and 8 form a support for the parts hereinafter described.

The numeral 9 designates the tub of an ordinary oscillatory washing machine. A shaft 10 which is secured to the tub 9 has a sleeve 11 loosely mounted thereon. A pinion 12 is secured to the sleeve 11.

Oscillatory movement is imparted to the pinion 12 by a rack 13 which is formed upon the outer end of the piston rod 14 of an ordinary reciprocatory water motor 15. It is in the peculiar mounting of this motor for cushioned bodily movement, that the resent invention particularly resides. It 1as been found that it is impossible to drive an oscillatory tub of this character by a reciprocatory water motor unless some means are provided for relieving the strain incident to the reversal of movement of the tub at each end of its stroke. It is to accomplish this that the herein described cushioned mounting of the motor is particularly designed.

Rods 18 support the motor and ass through the upturned ends 17 of the brac zets. These rods are connected at their outer ends by tie plates 19. Nuts 20 are threaded upon the rods outside of these tie plates, while nuts 21 are threaded upon said rods adjacent the ends of the motor. Springs 22 are interposed between the inner end of the motor and the upturned end 17 of the brackets 16, while springs 23 are interposed between said upturned ends and the inner tie plate 19. Springs 24 are interposed between the outer end of the motor and the upturned ends of the brackets, while springs 25 are inter osed between the last named upturned en s and the outer tie plate 19.

From the foregoing descri tion, it will be.

seen that the motor is bodi y mounted for cushioned movement in either direction. It will be readily understood that when water is admitted to the motor through the intake 26, reciprocatory motion will be imparted to the piston rod 14 and through the connections described to the shaft 10 and consequently to the tub 9. When this tub is filled with clothes and water, it is very heavy and after movement has been imparted to it in one direction, the strain placed upon the rack and gear when the movement of the piston rod is reversed, is very great and tends to stri the teeth from said rack and gear. The erein described cushioned mounting of the motor, prevents this, however. At the beginning of the movement of the piston rod toward the right in Fig. 2, the motor will move bodily toward the left in said figure, compressing the springs 25 and 22. During this movement of the motor to the left, the movement of the tub is reversed without injury to the teeth of the rack or the gear. At the beginning of the movement of the rack to the left in Fig. 2, the motor moves bodily toward the right, compressing the springs 23 and 24.

An arm 29 is provided with a horizontal arm 30 which is secured to the pinion 12. At its upper end the arm 29 has an arm 31 which is secured to a spider 32. This spider 32 is secured to the bottom of the tub, the arm 29 providing means for driving the tub from the pinion. It has been found that where the tub is driven from the central shaft, the strain upon said shaft is very great. By providing this arm 29 the tub is driven further from its center and consequently a greater leverage is secured.

It is to be understood that the motor is not slidable with relation to the rods 18, but that the motor and said rods are slidable with relation to the bracket 16. The nuts 20 and 21 provide means for adjusting the tension of the various springs, as will be readily understood.

It is necessary to rovide some means for holding the=rack '13 rmly in mesh with the teeth of the gear 12 and for this purpose an anti-friction roller 27 is mounted in a bracket 28 and bears against the rear side of the rack.

While the elements herein shown and described, are well adaptedto serve the-purposes for which they are intended, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth, but includes within its purview-such changes as may be made within thescope of the ap pended claims.

What I claim, is,

1. The combination'with a washing machine, of a motor for driving said washing machine, said motor being mounted for bodily cushioned movement.

2. The combination with a washing ma chine, of a motor for driving said washing machine, said motor being 'mounted for bodily cushioned movement in either direction.

3. In a washing machine, the combination with an oscillatory tub, of a motor forimparting oscillatory movement to said tub, said motor being mounted for bodily cushioned movement.

.catory piston rod for imparting movement to said tub, said motor being mounted for bodily cushioned movement in either direction.

6. In a washing machine, the combination with an oscillatory tub, of a shaft secured to said tub, a pinion mounted upon said shaft,

and a motor comprising a reciprocatory piston rod, said piston rod having a rack formed thereon which meshes with said pinion, and said motor being mounted for bodily cushioned movement in either direction.

7. In a washing machine, the combination with an oscillatory tub, of a shaft secured to said tub, a pinion mounted upon said shaft. a motor comprising a reciprocatory piston rod, said piston rod having a rack formed thereon which meshes with said pinion and said motor being mounted for bodily cushioned movement in either direction, and means for maintaining said rack in engagement with said pinion.

8. In a washing machine, the combination with a support, of a motor body slidably mounted with relation to said support, and means for cushioning the movement of said. motor body in either direction.- I

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS C. LEWIS.

Witnesses:

FRANK G. CAMPBELL, A. L. PHELPS. 

